James Golding & Aaron Cameron | Part 1 - The Blanchard Racing Team pairing join us in studio
About this episode
James Golding and Aaron Cameron from Blanchard Racing Team share insights into their motorsport journeys, early influences, and recent successes. The conversation reveals James's unexpected passion for DJing and how it parallels racing, Aaron’s karting team mentorship, and both drivers’ evolving mindsets on racing strategy and teamwork. They also reflect on their beginnings, family racing backgrounds, and the importance of learning from experiences on and off the track. The episode offers a relaxed, candid look at their careers and personal stories behind the scenes.
We’ve built a Feature library that is mainly 1-on-1 convos but we’re breaking the mould with this one….and it was so worth it.
Rusty shoots the breeze with ‘Bieber’ and ‘Camo’ who are reveling in the step forward that BRT has taken in Supercars this year.
How motor racing started for each of them? The race cars in the Cameron family garage and has Aaron had a steer of them?
DJ’ing and why it’s an escape for Jimmy and is there any correlations to his day job.
There’s a heart warming family story Aaron shares too that is truly inspiring.
What it was like at Garry Roger’s Motorsport for both of them and the hard yards they did in that period of their careers.
Enjoy being part of this ripper round table chat and get to know this likeable pair a little better.
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go-kart team
""I mean, I've got the little go-kart team that I do. There's nothing else you do that's not motorsport.""
A go-kart team is a group of people who race small, fast cars called go-karts. It's like a fun and competitive way to start learning how to race cars.
A go-kart team involves organizing and managing competitive kart racing, which is often a stepping stone for drivers aspiring to race in higher motorsport categories.
karting
"...just going on the car tracks, trying to teach kids the basics, and really focused on not spending heaps of money at karting level..."
Karting means racing small, simple cars called karts. Kids and beginners use karting to learn how to race before moving on to bigger, faster cars.
Karting is a form of motorsport using small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts. It is often the entry-level discipline for young drivers to learn racing skills before moving to higher levels of motorsport.
Supercars
"...trying to get them on a path to Supercars or wherever they want to go without spending millions of dollars."
Supercars is a famous car racing series in Australia where drivers race very fast, specially prepared cars. Many young racers want to compete there.
Supercars refers to the Australian Supercars Championship, a touring car racing category featuring highly modified production-based cars. It is one of the premier motorsport series in Australia and a common goal for aspiring drivers.
gearing
"...How much of that is you with advice around gearing, whatever, and how much of it is kind of driver coaching?"
Gearing means choosing how the car's gears work together to help it go faster or slower. It helps the car speed up or reach a higher top speed.
Gearing refers to the selection and setup of gear ratios in a vehicle's transmission and differential, which affects acceleration, top speed, and engine performance characteristics.
driver coaching
"...and how much of it is kind of driver coaching? I'd say we vary across all of that, but probably not heaps of the setup, gearing sort of stuff."
Driver coaching means helping drivers learn how to drive better and win races by teaching them skills and how to think during a race.
Driver coaching involves teaching racing drivers techniques and strategies to improve their performance on track, including mindset, racecraft, and decision-making.
racecraft
"...of like when you should and shouldn't make a pass, and what to do at starts, when to block, when not to block..."
Racecraft means knowing how to race smart, like when to pass other cars or block them to keep your place.
Racecraft is the skill and strategy involved in racing, including knowing when to overtake, defend position, and manage race situations effectively.
Holden Torana L34
"She raced the L34 Tarana and another family friend raced out"
The Holden Torana L34 is a sporty Australian car that was made to race in the 1970s. It had special parts to make it faster and handle better on the track.
The Holden Torana L34 is a special variant of the Torana, a popular Australian car, known for its performance in touring car racing during the 1970s. The L34 was a homologation special designed for racing, featuring upgraded engine and suspension components.
motorsport
"in learning about motorsport. Can you remember that? I remember some early parts and she had quite a big crash in an ex-U1 back then which was quite a scary time when she broke her wrist and I realised motorsport doesn't actually have some risk to it which probably intrigued me a bit more."
Motorsport means racing cars or motorcycles in competitions. People race to see who is fastest or best at driving.
Motorsport refers to competitive sporting events involving motorized vehicles, including car racing, motorcycle racing, and other forms of racing. It encompasses various disciplines such as circuit racing, rallying, and drag racing.
club level racing
"they were racing just at like club level. We went to watch them."
Club level racing is when people race cars or karts just for fun or competition in local groups, not as professional drivers.
Club level racing refers to amateur motorsport competitions organized by local or regional clubs. It is typically less formal and less expensive than professional racing series.
club championship
"one of the years at the club championship they made up like a ladies class for all the wives and girlfriends so mum went in that."
A club championship is a competition where racers take part in many races and the best racer over all wins the championship.
A club championship is a series of races organized by a motorsport club where competitors accumulate points over the season to determine an overall winner.
apprenticeship
"Yeah so I actually started an apprenticeship working for Ballans in the Formula Forward team just wanted to learn more about the cars and stuff to help with my driving and then only a few months into that basically I got the gig at GRM and continued my apprenticeship there"
An apprenticeship is when you learn a job by working with experienced people, getting hands-on training while you work. It's like learning how to fix or build cars by doing it with others.
An apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. In automotive contexts, it involves learning practical skills in a workshop or racing team environment.
driveline parts
"I was in sub-assembly. So all the driveline parts up right"
Driveline parts are the pieces in a car that help move power from the engine to the wheels so the car can go. They include things like the driveshaft and axles.
Driveline parts are components that transfer power from the engine to the wheels, including the driveshaft, differential, axles, and related parts. They are essential for vehicle movement and performance.
Junior Top Carts
"Yeah we went and watched the Junior Top Carts, big like Junior's only event at the start of the year and What year was that? 2011 Were you racing? Yeah it's the year I won the National."
Junior Top Carts is a type of kart race just for kids and young racers. It's a way for them to start racing and have fun.
Junior Top Carts is a karting competition category designed for younger drivers, typically serving as an entry point into competitive kart racing.
Formula 4
"That was my last year in kart. Was it? Now I went to Formula 4 the year after. It led to like literally a week later I think there was a kart in the driveway or something"
Formula 4 is a type of race with small, fast cars that young drivers race in after karting. It's like the next step to become a professional race car driver.
Formula 4 is an entry-level open-wheel racing category designed to be a stepping stone for young drivers moving up from karting to higher levels of motorsport.
Formula Ford
""he was used around your own Formula Fords and stuff too didn't you yeah he worked he worked on my Formula Ford so it was it's all in my go-karts like he ran him we had people help us to get there but he was mechanically working on my mole would change the gear ratios in the Formula Ford we had one time where if you""
Formula Ford cars are small race cars that people use to learn how to race. They are simple and help drivers get better before moving on to faster cars.
Formula Ford is a popular entry-level open-wheel racing category, often used as a stepping stone for drivers aspiring to reach higher levels of motorsport. The cars are single-seaters with relatively simple mechanical setups, making them ideal for learning racecraft and car setup.
TCR
"...had four or five of the best years of my life in TCR and it was just such a fun team and good vibes..."
TCR is a type of car racing where cars that look like regular street cars race on tracks. The rules make sure the cars are similar so the races are fair and exciting.
TCR stands for Touring Car Racing, a popular global racing category featuring production-based touring cars with specific technical regulations to ensure close competition.
S5000
"...and all sorts of stuff from S5000. Yeah that's right I mean even obviously I got in full time in the supercars with GRM..."
S5000 is a type of car race in Australia with very fast single-seat race cars that look like old Formula cars.
S5000 is an Australian open-wheel racing series featuring powerful V8-powered single-seater cars, designed as a modern interpretation of classic Formula 5000 racing.
Formula Forward
"from Formula Forward Gary gave me the offer"
Formula Forward is a type of car racing where young drivers compete to get better and move up to big races like IndyCar or Formula 1.
Formula Forward is a junior open-wheel racing series that serves as a stepping stone for drivers aiming to progress to higher levels of motorsport such as IndyCar or Formula 1.
Super 2
"to go into Super 2 and run with them and that's been a huge"
Super 2 is a racing series in Australia where new drivers learn and get ready to race in the main Supercars competition.
Super 2 is a feeder series for the Supercars Championship in Australia, designed to develop young drivers and prepare them for the top-tier Supercars racing.
IndyCar
"I was tossing up to try and go and do IndyCar and try and go down that path How close did you get there?"
IndyCar is a popular car racing series in the United States where fast, single-seat cars race on different tracks including ovals and road courses.
IndyCar is a premier American open-wheel racing series known for events like the Indianapolis 500, featuring high-speed, single-seat race cars.
USF 2000
"starting off with USF 2000 I think it was back then Did he talk you out of that?"
USF 2000 is a beginner racing series in the U.S. where drivers start their careers to eventually race in bigger competitions like IndyCar.
USF 2000 is an American open-wheel racing series that acts as an entry-level step in the Road to Indy ladder, helping drivers progress toward IndyCar.
qualifying session
"you kept building and building in a qualifying session I just found that so much fun just to keep trying to find those limits in the car"
Before a race, drivers try to drive the fastest lap they can to decide who starts at the front. This time is set during the qualifying session.
A qualifying session is a period during a race event where drivers attempt to set the fastest lap time to determine their starting position on the grid.
Bathurst
"especially like Bathurst that we went to Bathurst that was"
Bathurst is a famous race track in Australia where big car races happen, known for being very challenging.
Bathurst refers to the Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia, famous for hosting the Bathurst 1000, a prestigious touring car race.
Trans Am
"Trans Am chapter for you... at Trans Am obviously a little bit rough around the edges"
Trans Am is a car racing series where drivers race muscle and sports cars on tracks. It's a way for drivers to practice and race without spending as much money as in some other series.
Trans Am is a popular American racing series known for its muscle cars and touring cars, featuring competitive racing with production-based vehicles. It has grown significantly and offers a platform for drivers to gain experience in high-performance cars.
brakes
"you're managing a lot of things with the tyre and brakes and all that sort of stuff but at Trans Am... like the brakes are really probably too small for the car so they get hot quick"
Brakes help a car slow down or stop. In racing, if brakes get too hot, they don't work well, so drivers have to be careful how they use them.
Brakes are critical components that slow down or stop a car. In racing, brakes can overheat if they are too small or used excessively, which reduces their effectiveness and requires careful management.
right hand drive
"like the sequential shifter and right hand drive just everything is still pretty much the same"
Right hand drive means the steering wheel is on the right side of the car instead of the left. This is normal in some countries and changes how the car is driven.
Right hand drive refers to vehicles where the steering wheel is located on the right side of the car, common in countries like the UK, Australia, and Japan. It affects driving dynamics and vehicle design, especially in racing series that use cars from these regions.
tyre pressure
""It's like yeah tyre pressure's right and drive good laugh and you've got that sort of thing.""
Tyre pressure means how much air is inside a tire. If it's too high or too low, the car won't drive as well. Racers adjust it to make their car go faster and handle better.
Tyre pressure refers to the amount of air inside a tire, which affects grip, handling, and wear. In racing, getting the tyre pressure right is crucial for optimal performance on track.
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